


New Roots

by Lukenthius



Series: Plot Bunnies [13]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Dimension Travel, Gen, Harry Does the Impossible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 08:12:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14870027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lukenthius/pseuds/Lukenthius
Summary: Harry tries to hide in Hogwarts at the end of the school year so he won't have to go back to the Dursleys. Fortunately for him, magic intervenes and he ends up finding himself in a new world with a new life unfolding before him.





	New Roots

Harry woke slowly. He looked up and noticed instead of his cupboard ceiling he was looking at a plain white one with the plaster in tiny spikes, which was odd because all the ceilings at the Dursley’s house were patterned with swirls... He noticed he was lying in a comfy bed, placed near the wall. The sheet bellow him was blue while the cover on the duvet was white along the bottom half, a pale red along the top half with a circle in the middle, red on the top, white on the bottom and a black strip with a white dot in the centre of it running through the middle.

There was a pink and yellow rug under the bed that somehow seemed more ‘tasteful elegance’ than ‘feminine’, although it had clearly been chosen by a woman. The bed was placed _just_ far enough away from the wall to fit a bedside table there but close enough to still be considered ‘against the wall’. There was a chest of draws at the end of the bed and a wardrobe against the left wall just beyond it.

He sat up and looked around the room. The room was pretty large and mostly empty, though there were a few pillows and stuffed toys on the floor next to the bed, seemingly removed to allow him into the bed. The bed itself was in the lower left corner of the room. There were framed pictures hanging on the wall along with a few unframed ones taped on the wall over the desk, which was along the same wall as the bed with a trash can on one side and a... potted plant on the other.

The middle of the floor had a large blue diamond pattern rug while the rest of the floor was bare hardwood. There was another desk on the wall opposite the bed with a computer on it and a simple padded stool instead of the comfy chair at the other desk. Beside the computer desk was some kind of... console? It looked like one... at any rate it was wired into the T.V. that was sitting in the far corner, opposite the bed in the upper right corner of the room.

He checked the bedside table for his glasses before realising he could see fine. The table was also, sadly, empty of any clue as to where he was or how he got here. He carefully and quietly got out of bed and crept over to the desk. There was a journal of some kind but it was clearly new as it had never been written in. The year was funny though... there were other pictures and bits of paper with half finished homework, a few opened letters and an unfinished letter. There were a few figurines and some comic books and such...

He silently moved over to the other end of the room and looked the devices over. He didn’t recognise what kind of console it could be, Dudley certainly didn’t have one.

He didn’t want to mess with anything so he moved back over and made the bed before arranging the pillows and stuffed toys on it. He noticed the clothes he was wearing were clearly pyjamas and winced at how new and comfortable they were and how expensive they must be.

“Harry! Get up and come down! It’s nearly noon!”

Harry looked over at the door to the room and took a deep breath. He opened the door and went downstairs, stepping near silently on the steps. He looked into the room bellow. There was a T.V. near the bottom of the stairs with a kitchen visible beyond that. He walked a bit further down and spotted a large dining table next to the kitchen with four chairs around it (two on opposite sides, he’d never seen a table laid out like that before) and a large, squishy looking couch near it opposite the T.V.

There was a woman at the table who looked up. “For Arceus sake, Harry, get dressed first. Honestly.”

Harry quickly dashed up the stairs and back into the room he’d awoken in. He looked at the wardrobe and shrugged, opening it. There was a trunk on the floor inside it. He crouched down and opened it up, sighing in relief to see his Hogwarts supplies inside, along with a note on the top. He unfolded the paper and frowned as he read it.

_‘Dearest Idiot._

_Yeah, I’m talking to you. Do you have any idea what you’ve gone and done? No? Not surprised. You probably can’t even remember can you? Let me explain._  
You heard about a room in Hogwarts from one of the upper years and went to investigate when you should have been getting on the train to go home. I don’t really blame you for wanting some time alone after the fiasco that was that bloody tournament but you took ‘need alone time’ to a whole new level. When you opened that door into the room you somehow managed to go and open a doorway into another world entirely.  
Now, I’m going to send you some important information directly to your mind. This will hurt.’

No sooner had Harry ready that line that his head exploded in pain. When it vanished he was suddenly aware of things he didn’t know about before. This world was inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. He was going to become a Pokémon trainer. The woman downstairs was his mother, Dalia. His best friend was a girl named Lyra, who lived across the street. She already had a Pokémon, a Marill that she didn’t give a nickname to. Most people didn’t give nicknames to their Pokémon but Harry felt that giving something a name gave it an identity.

He quickly ran over some other important information before turning back to the letter, aware that he was limited for time.

‘ _Now, you can choose the direction of your journey but most people decide to challenge the Gyms and battle in the Pokémon League Championship. Within the wardrobe is a belt with a bag on it. It will only open to you and no one else will notice the bag is there unless it is pointed out to them, a very strong notice-me-not spell if you must know. All of the pockets are bottomless, feather light and nothing placed within them will ever break or age, so you can store food in there if you really wanted.  
You also have a backpack, the forest green one next to your trunk.’_

Harry looked and finally noticed the bag in question. It had a bedroll rolled up and tied across the bottom and he knew there was also a tent hidden within it.

‘ _This bag has the same charms as your belt bag. You have both bags so you can store your magic items in one and your Pokémon items in the other. The belt itself has pokéball slots on it for your main team but you have pockets inside your jackets for other pokéballs too._  
You will be getting your first Pokémon soon. Everyone in this world remembers you and anything you take from this world will come with you back to your world, should you ever decide to go back.  
You are able to cast spells here and no one from your world will know. So cast away. You also cannot break the statute of secrecy as there is no magical world here to be exposed.  
A quick warning, time will pass differently between the two worlds. A month here is a day there.’

Harry smiled happily. It meant he could spend a year here and only be gone less than two weeks.

‘ _If you die here, you die for real. So don’t fuck it up.  
P.S. Potions from your world work fine on Pokémon and humans._ ’

The note wasn’t signed. Harry hummed and stood up, quickly selecting some clothes from the wardrobe. He ended up wearing black jogging bottoms, red trainers, a red jacket with a white hem and hood and a black and red hat with gold trim. It took him a few minutes to find everything, especial as he had to try three different draws before he’d found the underwear. He grinned at his reflection in the mirror inside the wardrobe door and headed downstairs, deciding to pack later so he could say goodbye then.

He smiled at his ‘mother’. It was strange having someone to call mum...

“Hi Harry! You’re finally up. Your friend Lyra was just here. She was playing hide-and-seek with Marill. Oh, I almost forgot! Professor Elm was looking for you. He said he had a favour to ask you. Can you pop round after breakfast? Or should I say lunch?”

Harry chuckled and walked over to the table, sliding into the seat opposite her. He helped himself to the food on the table, actually feeling very hungry for once. After he finished he helped clear the dishes and headed outside. As soon as he stepped out of the house his mind was assaulted with information about this village, including relationships he supposedly had with the people here.

A blue spherical blur ran into him and bounced backwards. He looked down and his mind supplied ‘ _Marill_ ’. He looked to his right as a girl called out and waved. He waved back and the Marill ran up to the girl before running off again. The girl shouted and ran after it.

‘ _Lyra, best friend forever since we were really little._ ’

He nodded and walked onwards towards the Lab, which was the closest building to the edge of town, since it also double as the Pokémon centre. He stepped inside and nodded to the Lab assistant ‘ _Gavin. Friends with mum. Had feelings for her when they were younger. Unknown if they still exist._ ’

He blinked at the knowledge and walked further into the lab. A few rooms down he found the professor. “Professor Elm? Mother said you wanted to see me?”

“Ah! Harry! I’ve been waiting for you. Excellent, excellent. Do you know anything about my research?”

Harry shook his head. “Not much.”

Elm nodded. “Yes, well, as you know, Pokémon are carried in pokéballs these days, but before the pokéball was invented, people used to walk around with Pokémon. Just like your friend Lyra does! Pokéballs are great because you can carry many Pokémon. But walking with Pokémon must have some advantages. It could have something to do with how Pokémon grow or evolve. So I’m going to give you a Pokémon!”

Harry rocked backwards slightly in mock shock. “What? Really? Thank you, Professor!”

Elm nodded and smiled. “Can you walk beside this Pokémon, outside of its pokéball, to see if this brings any special feelings or bonds between Pokémon and people? The device over there has some Pokémon you could choose from.”

He waved Harry over and Harry moved towards it. Elm was then distracted by his computer... at least... the one directly behind him, as it let out a ping. “Oh, I have an E-Mail.” Harry tuned out his mumbling and looked over the data sheet next to the machine. “Harry.” he looked up. “Listen, I have this acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an E-Mail from him saying that this time it’s real. It’s probably another Pokémon egg, but we’re still so busy with our Pokémon research. Wait! I know! You can go in our place right? Can we count on you?”

Harry nodded, “Sure thing Professor.”

“Excellent, in that case I’ll just make up your Trainer Card.” He stepped over to a different machine.

Harry looked over the data sheets again.

‘ _Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon. Cyndaquil is mild tempered, and often timid. It prefers warm places and will often cuddle up to other fire types or its trainer. It curls up into a ball it if is frightened, shy or sad. If it feels threatened it shoots flames from the spots on its back. Normally they have a blue back with red spots and a cream underbelly. There have been sightings on ones that are darker in colour with a white underbelly._  
This Cyndaquil is male and has the abilities Blaze and Flash Fire.   
Cyndaquil is part of the Field egg group.  
It has a Regional Pokédex number of 004 and a national Dex number of 155.  
It is 1’08” and weighs 17.4Ibs.  
This Cyndaquil knows the moves Ember, Tackle, Smokescreen and Growl.’

‘ _Chikorita, the Leaf Pokémon. Chikorita is relatively docile and easy going. A sweet aroma comes from the leaf on its head, helping to calm down any Pokémon around it. It waves the leaf around in battle as a form of attack. They tend to spend a lot of time sunbathing and are quite affectionate. Usually they are a pale green with darker green studs around the neck, the same colour as its leaf. Occasionally trainers have reported seeing ones that are pale cream coloured with a more orange leaf._  
This Chikorita is Female and has the abilities Overgrow and Leaf Guard.  
Chikorita is part of the Monster and Grass egg groups.  
It has a Regional Pokédex number of 001 and a national Dex number of 152.  
It is 2’11” and 14.1Ibs.  
This Chikorita knows the moves Razor Leaf, Tackle, Growl and Aromatherapy. The latter is an Egg Move.’

‘ _Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Totodile is playful and energetic, often found playing near rivers and streams. They love to be near water and will often try to get other Pokémon or trainers to play with them. They have an immensely powerful jaw and often underestimate their strength as even a playful nip can cause serious injury. Beware, if not treated well in this stage then its evolved forms can be dangerous to everyone, trainer included. Usually Totodile is blue with red spikes on its back and tail, though there have been sightings of ones that are a greener shade of blue with blue spikes on their back and tail._  
This Totodile is male with the abilities Torrent and Sheer Force.  
Totodile is part of the Monster and Water 1 Egg Groups.  
It has a regional Pokédex number of 007 and a national Dex number of 158.  
it is 2’00” and 20.9Ibs.  
This Totodile knows the moves Scratch, Leer and Tackle.’

Harry looked the three of them over and easily made a decision. While Chikorita was cute and likable, it wasn’t his kind of thing, and while Totodile seemed cool enough he wasn’t quite ready for a water type Pokémon, after the merpeople and grindylows of the second task.

He picked up the Cyndaquil’s pokéball and tapped the button, summoning the small fire Pokémon out. He crouched down to face it. “Hey there.” It tilted its head curiously. “Want to be my partner?” it thought for a moment before nodding excitedly and walking the short distance between them. “Alright... what to name you...” Harry thought for a moment before a name came to mind. “How about Ignotus, Iggy for short?” the Cyndaquil nodded in excitement. “Alright then Iggy, welcome to the team.” He smiled and held out a finger, which the tiny Pokémon hi-fived.

He stood up straight and walked over to Professor Elm.

The professor smiled at him. “How do you like walking with your Pokémon? It’s not bad is it? You can take it all the way to Mr. Pokémon’s house. Mr Pokémon goes everywhere and finds rarities. His house is past Cherrygrove City. Go north a little past Cherrygrove. I’m counting on you, Harry!”

Harry nodded and grinned. “Yeah. Don’t worry Professor. We’ll be back before you know it, right Ignotus?”

“Cyn! Cyndaquil!”

“Excellent! Now, here is your Trainer Card. It works as both a licence to battle with Pokémon and as a valid form of ID, so keep it on you at all times!”

“Yes sir.”

“Alright then, off you go.”

“Bye Professor.” Harry grinned and nodded to his Pokémon. “Come on, we need to stop by my house to get ready. It’ll be a long trip so we’ll need to be prepared.”

“Quil!”

As he got back to the entrance of the lab Gavin came up to him. “Hey Harry, I want you to have these to help you with your task.” He handed Harry a small box. He looked inside and spotted a load of small bottles with a squirty top. ‘ _Potions, healing item_ ’. “Pokémon are weak in the beginning. Don’t hesitate to use a potion if you think yours is in danger.”

Harry nodded. “Thanks.” he hesitated for a moment. “Hey, look after my mum while I’m gone, yeah?”

Gavin smirked slightly. “Sure thing Harry. Stay safe out there.”

Harry nodded and left the building. Outside he spotted Marill running in circles around Lyra.  “Harry!”

He smiled and stepped up to her. From what he could ‘remember’ about her she was as brilliant as Hermione, and just as bossy, but liked to get out and be physical whereas his bushy haired friend preferred to stay inside.

“So you picked a Cyndaquil! That’s a cute Pokémon you have! When you walk with it, it’ll become more friendly. You should turn around and talk to it sometimes too.”

Harry laughed. “Well obviously, I’m not going to just use him for battling. He’s my partner, right Iggy?”

“Quil!”

Lyra laughed and slapped her forehead. “Oh! Yeah obviously. Hey! You should show your mum!”

“Rill!” They both looked down to Marill as it took that moment to run off.

“Wait! Marill! See ya later Harry!” she ran off after her Pokémon.

Harry chuckled and looked down at Ignotus, who was somewhat cowering behind his leg. “It’s alright Ignotus. That was my friend Lyra and her Marill. Marill is a bit excitable but otherwise he’s harmless and he won’t use any water moves on you unless you are battling. Anyway, come on and meet my mum, she’ll love you.”

He made his way home easily and walked inside. “Mum.” He held the door open for his Pokémon and then walked over to where his mum was sitting on the sofa.

“Oh Harry! That’s a cute Pokémon you have.”

Harry chuckled. “That’s what Lyra said too.”

His mum chuckled. “Professor Elm must have given it to you?” He nodded and explained. “Oh, Professor Elm has a task for you, you say?”

Harry frowned. “Are you alright, mum? You seem kind of distracted.”

She frowned and bit her lip. “Do you actually remember me?”

Harry blinked in shock. “Huh?”

“Have you had another episode? I noticed you seemed a bit off this morning. Have you forgotten everything again?”

Harry swallowed. “I...” he bit his lip and looked down. “I’m sorry...”

He felt a pair of arms circle around him. “Oh my baby. Don’t be sorry, sweet heart. It’s not your fault.”

Harry winced when he felt a drop land on his cheek and he knew his mother was crying. “Mum...” he wrapped his arms around her and held onto her as she cried. They sat side by side on the couch for a long while before Dalia was able to pull herself together.

“Right... how much can you remember?”

Harry frowned. “Um... I know things... like I know you’re my mum, your name is Dalia, my best friend is Lyra... I know we spend a lot of time together playing with her Marill but... I can’t actually remember doing that... I know Gavin is a family friend and he sometimes stays for dinner, I know I spend some time at the weekends with Mrs Lars, helping her out around the house and keeping her garden tidy.” Mrs Lars was their immediate next door neighbour. She was quite old and widowed. Harry and Lyra helped her out from time to time. “But again, I can’t actually remember ever doing it...” he sat forwards and frowned. “I don’t really have any memories... but I... I know things that I should have memories of...”

Dalia sighed and leant against him. “I see... same as every time then...”

Harry frowned. “How often does this happen?”

“The first time happened when you were about six... you woke up not knowing who I was... you were afraid of me... you wouldn’t let me close. The second time was two and a half years later. You weren’t afraid of me then but you refused to call me mum for a week or so before your memories came back. When Gavin came in you completely freaked out. It happened again a year later... a lot like this time actually... you were able to forget everything without me knowing you had for a few hours... and then this time...”

Harry leant against her. “Must have been heart breaking... to have your kid scared of you like that... I’m so sorry mum.”

She shook her head and sniffed. “No... no it’s not your fault... we don’t know what causes these episodes... you should have your memories back in a few days... maybe a week or two...”

Harry nodded slowly and picked up Ignotus from where he was sat of the rug in front of him. “I don’t know if Professor Elm would wait that long for me to leave... he really wants me to go and see Mr. Pokémon.”

Dalia nodded. “Hm.... and I suppose there is nothing we can do in the meantime. Besides, it’s not like you’re helpless out there, you have your Cyndaquil, and I’ll just be a call away with your pokégear.” She picked up a box off the table. “It came back from the repair shop. They’re not sure how it broke but they put it down to some kind of electromagnetic disturbance. They’ve fixed the problem now since anyone with a Magnemite would have the same problem.”

Harry took the box off her and pulled out a device. It was some kind of wrist strap with a device on it, much larger than a watch. He opened it up and found a bunch of different buttons inside. He absentmindedly changed the display design in the settings menu before wondering how he knew how to. Dalia showed him some of the things it could do, like how to make phone calls and how to exchange details with those nearby by doing it with her one. “Why don’t you add Lyra to it before you go?”

Harry nodded. “I’ll be alright mum. I’ll have Ignotus with me,” he gently stroked said Pokémon’s head, “And I’m just going to see Mr. Pokémon and then come back. I won’t be gone for long.”

Dalia nodded and sniffled again. “Alright... but be safe.”

He nodded. “I will, don’t worry.” He gently kissed her forehead before standing up with Ignotus in his arms. “I’m gonna go pack. I’ll be back down in a minute.” He went upstairs and knelt down in front of his wardrobe. He opened the trunk and began to organise his magical items and place them in his belt-bag. Iggy looked curiously at him and he quietly explained what each item was. He folded the robes up and placed them on the floor beside him and Ignotus curled up on them. The Weasley sweaters and the few other items of clothes he had that fitted were put in a different pile. All his books went in one pocket, his cauldron and potions equipment in another and everything else organised in separate, smaller pockets.

When he was finished with his magical items he started on his other clothes. He packed the backpack with plenty of clean clothes, making sure he had more than enough underwear. He didn’t know what the weather was like in this place but from what he could tell it was mostly sunny. He didn’t know how far it would be to Mr. Pokémon’s house but considering he first had to go to Cherrygrove _city_ he was guessing it would take more than a day or two. Thankfully with the bag being bottomless and feather light he was able to pack excessively without worrying about weight or space.

He had to force himself to not pack everything in the room, as he was used to doing, but did pack extra blankets and one of the stuffed toys on his bed, a Teddiursa. A glance at Iggy happily curled up in his robes had him packing them too and promising Ignotus that he could sleep in them later, but they had other things to do first. He shouldered his bag and went back downstairs, spotting the potions Gavin had given him on the table. He put them in a side pocket of his backpack so they would be easy to access if he needed them. He looked around but couldn’t see his mum.

He bit his lip and placed Iggy on the couch. “Wait here a moment, okay? I’m gonna let my mum know we’re leaving.” He quickly headed back upstairs and found his mum in her room, surrounded by photos. “Mum...”

“Oh! Harry!” she sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Are you ready to go?”

He nodded and walked over to hug her. He wasn’t quite comfortable with physical contact but he was willing to make an exception for her. It was several minutes later than he went back downstairs and smiled at Iggy. “Alright mate, let’s get going.”

Ignotus nodded and hopped down off the couch. “Quil, cynda Cyndaquil!”

The two of them left the house and headed out of town. Just as they got to the edge Professor Elm came running up. “Wait! One second! Hold on!”

Harry turned back. “Everything okay Professor?”

“Yes, yes. I just remembered, you had to send your Pokégear off for repair didn’t you? Here, let me register my number again.” They both pressed the button and Professor Elm’s number was added to his address book. “I’ll call you if anything comes up.” He then turned and rushed back into his lab.

“Okay~...” he looked down at Ignotus who was equally confused. “Um... off we go!” he walked a bit further and found a sign. ‘RT. 29 West to Cherrygrove City.’ “Rout 29? Oh, right all the areas between cities are named routs to make navigating and travelling from one place to another easier.” He grinned down at Iggy. “Lucky for us we have a faster way.” He reached into his belt-bag and pulled out his broom. He sat astride it and leant down, picked up Iggy and stood up straight. “Ready?”

Iggy looked around and nodded slightly. Harry kicked off the ground and slowly rose up. Iggy held onto his arm tightly before a made a panicked sound and Harry felt his front warm up where the tiny fire type was pressed against him, reminding him that Cyndaquil have a habbit of setting their back on fire. He gently touched back down and placed Iggy back on the floor, thankful that the fire type hadn’t set his shirt on fire. “Sorry. Guess you’re afraid of heights huh...” he rubbed the Pokémon’s head. “Sorry mate. We’ll have to walk then.”

“Quil...” Iggy looked down at the ground dejectedly.

“Hey, it’s fine. Not everyone likes heights. Don’t worry about it.” He stood up and looked at the tall grass. He knew from his ‘memories’ that the grass was full of Pokémon. Mostly types like Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, Hoothoot, Dunsparce, Mareep, Ekans, Bellsprout, Hoppip, Oddish, Abra, Nidoran♀/♂, Yanma, Sunkern, Exeggcute and Sentret. There were trees on either side so things like Caterpie, Weedle, Spinarak, Ledyba, Pineco. Harry shook his head violently and fisted his hair, desperate to get the heap of information sorted out. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

He shook his head again when the information finally settled. Not all of those breeds were available near here since the gap between the rows of trees was too narrow for a lot of breeds. For now, he should stick to the path and focus on getting to Cherrygrove. When he got there, and found the Pokémon centre he and Iggy could battle some of the Pokémon in the fields. As soon as he started walking down the path there was a sharp screech and Harry instinctively held out his arm. A white blur flew down and landed on his arm before sharply biting his ear. “Ow!”

Harry turned his head to face a very angry looking owl. One side of his mind supplied ‘Hoothoot’ while the other screamed ‘Hedwig!’ He grinned and ducked another peck, placing a hand on her chest. “Hedwig, easy.” She screeched at him again and he chuckled. “I know, I know, I’ve gone and done something stupid again and you’re angry with me. At least now you can stay with me all the time and stop me from doing something stupid again.”

It was nearly five minutes later that Hedwig calmed down enough to simply sit and sulk on Harry’s shoulder. He sighed and knelt down. “Iggy, this is Hedwig, she’s been my friend for the last four years. Hedwig, this is Ignotus or Iggy for short, he’s a Cyndaquil and my first Official Pokémon.”

Hedwig eyed the shy fire type for a few moments before hooting softly and raising one wing in greeting. Iggy grinned up at her and cheered his own greeting. Harry grinned and stood up, “Alright, to Cherrygrove City!” he set off down the path, slow enough for Iggy, but fast enough that they would cover some good distance. After a few minutes of travel he pulled out his first year charms book and began reading. If he had some time without worrying about schoolwork, Voldemort, evil defence teachers or anything else life threatening then he could spend some time going over his old school books. A few pages in he found _alohomora_. Seriously... it was a few pages in, right between _lumos_ and _wingardium leviosa_... how did he miss it?

As he walked he divided his attention between what was in front of him, his book and Ignotus. Surprisingly he got to the top of a hill from which he could see Cherrygrove City within four hours. He put his book away and looked down at the thoroughly exhausted Ignotus. He picked the tiny Pokémon up. “You did great Iggy. We’ll stop by the Pokémon centre and get you checked out now, okay?”

He nodded and rested his head on Harry’s arm. “Cyn...”

Harry walked forwards into town and looked around. It was more of a town than a city, though the buildings were far too tall to be considered a town. There was a lot of greenery visible between the buildings. He walked down the path and headed towards the city. It took him half an hour to reach the edge of the city.

“Why hello there, young man.”

Harry looked over and saw an elderly man standing at the side of the road. “Hello sir.”

“Is this your first time in the city, youngen?”

“Yes sir.”

“So well mannered. Since you came from rout 29 I guess you are from New Bark Town? Let me show you around a little.” He turned and led Harry down a long path. “Despite being called a city, Cherrygrove is actually the second smallest settlement in Johto, next to New Bark Town. It is the smallest City in the world. Despite being so close to the sea we have a lot of plants you would usually find further inland. The Cherry Blossom Trees are part of what give the town its name.” They came up to a large building that somewhat resembled a hospital with a red roof and a white pokéball symbol. “This is the Pokémon Centre. This should be the first place you go to whenever you visit any city. The hospital is that one opposite.” Harry turned to look across the road and nodded and the sight of a hospital, complete with red plus sign. The man led him further into the city. “This here is the Pokémart. It’s the best place to shop for anything a trainer might need.”

The tour didn’t last that long, the man showed him the beach, the two hotels, a few restaurants and the entrance to rout 30. “And I’m afraid that is all our little city has to offer really.”

Harry smiled. “It’s great.” And it was true. He much preferred this small city to the busy streets of London. The few people he’d seen seemed friendlier too. Maybe it was the more simplistic, laid back feel this whole world seemed to have. He headed swiftly to the Pokémon centre and had Ignotus and Hedwig checked out, he told the nurse that he’d only just gotten both and he wanted to make sure they were both alright.

The nurse was surprised that he had a white Hoothoot and that he didn’t have a pokéball for her. She took him to one of the examination rooms and showed him how to do a basic check up so he could check his Pokémon for injuries or illness while he was travelling. She then used the medical equipment to give them a more thorough check up and pronounced both very healthy Pokémon. When they got back to the lobby she used the computer to print out some data sheets for him, telling him all about Hoothoot and Cyndaquil like their dietary needs and a whole load of other stuff.

He thanked her and headed off to the Pokémart. He used a bit of money he’d brought with him to buy a pokéball and officially captured Hedwig. He let her out right away and smiled nervously at her indignant look. “Now that I’ve caught you with this pokéball, no one else can capture you with one. It means other trainers who try and take you away from me won’t have a chance to begin with.”

Hedwig glared at him but settled down. Harry chuckled under his breath and headed towards one of the restaurants the guide had showed him. Thankfully all food establishments served Pokémon food as well as human food. Harry sat at a table in the corner and ordered for the three of them. He looked at Iggy and Hedwig. “Now, either we get a room and stay the night here, or we make a start towards Mr. Pokémon’s house and camp out if it’s too far away... we’ll have to ask someone how far away it is.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “It’s already nearly seven o’clock... we’ll definitely stay the night here then.”

A soft hoot from Hedwig and a quiet hum from Iggy was all the reply he needed. A waitress came over soon enough with their food and Harry thanked her, tucking in. He’d never really had the chance to explore different foods before. Hogwarts only served traditional English foods, mostly it was just roast chicken, roast beef things like that. He’d cooked a wider variety of foods at the Dursley’s. This year was slightly different but after the first feast on Halloween the house elves only put the French foods on the Ravenclaw table and the Bulgarian foods on the Slytherin table, since no one from Hogwarts actually tried them. Now he could branch out and try different foods.

He found he quite liked this, although everything on the menu seemed to be vegetarian. It made sense he supposed, what with all the animals in this world being sentient and capable of fighting back if you tried to kill them. From what he could see of the menu they didn’t even have vegi-meat, although again it made sense since vegi-meat was invented so vegetarians could pretend to eat meat and still get the proteins and such.

The three of them finished their food quickly and Harry paid for them, wincing at how little he had left, before they left to find a hotel for the night. They ended up having to stay in the cheapest one as it was the only one Harry could afford. “Seems we’ll have to camp out anyway after tonight...”

Iggy and Hedwig sighed unhappily and Harry smiled sadly at them before settling down on the floor of the room. He opened his pokégear and rang his mum. They talked for a little while, he told her of a few more bits of information he’d remembered on his way and assured her he was sure he’d get his memories back soon. He felt horrible for lying to the woman but it was better that she thought her son had lost his memories rather than him either suddenly appearing from nowhere or replacing...

He’d never thought of that...

Did he replace the Harry of this world? Was there already a boy existing and he just took the guy’s place?

He shook off his worries before his mum noticed and continued to talk to her for about half an hour before they hung up.

Harry sighed heavily and decided to put it out of his mind. He got out his charms book again and ran through the whole book trying each of the spells. Most of them he was able to do first try, having done them before, the few he hadn’t it took a couple of tries to get the pronunciation right but he got them all with little to no effort. He had to practice a few transfigurations to be able to practice the charms as he didn’t have any teacups or other things available.

When he finished the book he yawned and climbed into bed with Iggy and Hedwig. He woke early in the morning, before anyone else was up and looked at his two Pokémon. He smiled happily, thankful that yesterday wasn’t a dream. He quietly slid out of the bed without waking Iggy and sat on the floor, thinking things through.

After he visited Mr Pokémon and got back to New Bark Town he would probably spend some time with his mother, Lyra and his Pokémon. He might take the opportunity to capture some while he was out, though he would have to find a way to buy some pokéballs... come to think of it, he had no idea what the path to Mr Pokémon’s house would be like, he might need another Pokémon to be able to get there in one piece. Thankfully the path from New Bark Town to here was easy enough but if he ventured into the trees, if the trees were closer together or if it was a wide open field then he would definitely have encountered a wild Pokémon.

According to the information that just flooded his mind that is.

He hissed and rubbed his head, wondering when the headaches would stop.

“Quil?”

He looked up and smiled slightly at Ignotus. “I’m okay. Just a headache.”

.oOo.

.oOo.

Harry looked up at the house. “This must be it... come on then you two.” He stepped up to the door and knocked. A voice from inside called, ‘it’s open!’ so Harry let himself in.

A man with a kick ass trench coat and a detective hat came over. “Ah, you must be Harry. It was I who sent the Email to Professor Elm. I... I trust you got here alright? No trouble?”

Harry blinked and nodded. “Yes sir, the journey was fine. It took a little longer than I was expecting to get from Cherrygrove to here but I got to Cherrygrove from New Bark Town much faster than I was expecting.”

“Ah, good good. Professor Elm sent a message that you may be experiencing some trouble... something about a health problem?”

Harry grimaced. “Er, I lost all my memories. No idea why, I just woke up not knowing who I am or anything about my life. I’m getting bits back, slowly. It’s not too big a problem since I didn’t forget things like what Pokémon are and what they can do.”

Mr. Pokémon nodded. “Ah, Sudden Onset Amnesia. Not very common and a real mystery to doctors. Well, if you’re sure you’re okay, we can get down to why you were sent here. Come sit, come sit.” He showed Harry to the table. And Harry took a seat while the man scurried off to a cabinet and came back with an egg. It was white with blue and red markings. “This is what I want Professor Elm to examine. A friend of mine from Ecruteak gave it to me.” He handed the egg over to Harry, who carefully took it and cradled it in the crook of his arm. “I bet you can’t find this kind of egg in Johto.”

Harry frowned. “So where did your friend get it?”

“No idea. I didn’t think to ask. Anyway, I thought Professor Elm might be able to tell us what this is. He’s the best when it comes to the research of Pokémon Evolution according to Professor Oak.” He nodded his head towards the other man in the room, an older gentleman in a white lab coat. Harry’s mind was suddenly assaulted by several random bits of information about Professor Oak, he winced and tipped his head forward but otherwise gave no indication of the rather sizable headache.

The man stood up and walked around the table. “And with that, I’m Professor Oak, a Pokémon Researcher. So, you’re Harry? I was just visiting my Friend Mr. Pokémon. I heard you were running an errand for professor Elm, so I waited here.” He looked between Hedwig and Ignotus. “And I’m glad I did. Two rare Pokémon? This is a shiny?”

Harry shrugged the shoulder Hedwig wasn’t sitting on. “I think so. Her name is Hedwig, and this is Ignotus.”

Oak nodded. “So, professor Elm gave you the Cyndaquil, Ignotus?”

“Yes sir. I’m helping him with some research on the benefits of having a Pokémon outside its pokéball verses inside.”

“So polite, you don’t see that often in kids these days.” He looked closely at Ignotus. “So, you are helping Professor Elm with his research? I think I understand why Elm gave you that Pokémon, instead of having you capture one of your own. You will treat your Pokémon with love and care it seems.” He looked back up at Harry and studied him for several minutes. “You seem dependable. How would you like to help me out?”

Harry blinked in shock. “O-of course. What do you need?”

The man pulled out a red device. “See? This is the latest version of the Pokédex. It automatically records data on Pokémon you’ve seen or caught. It’s a high-tech encyclopaedia. I’d like you to have it.”

Harry stared in shock. “W-what? Are you sure, sir?” the thing must be worth a fortune!

“Yes, I’m sure. It’ll do me no good. Go and meet many kinds of Pokémon and complete that Pokédex! But, I’ve stayed too long. I have to get to Goldenrod for my usual radio show. Harry, I have a feeling that this is not the last time we’ll meet. Let’s exchange numbers just to be on the safe side.”

Harry numbly opened his pokégear and registered Professor Oak’s number.


End file.
